Learning a New Career: Towards a Facilitative Framework

Purpose

This study sought to better understand the factors for facilitating the transition process as people change occupations, with the aim of proposing a facilitative framework that may inform educators and career specialists helping individuals make a career change.

Methodology

Qualitative interview data from six cases of career transitions into three occupational sectors were analysed and thematically coded.

Findings

The career transition experiences of the six individual cases support the conceptual stages, desired learning outcomes, learner state and theoretical underpinnings of a new and original facilitative framework for career transition.

Eric Lee is Principal Research Manager of the Research Division at the Institute for Adult Learning Singapore. He holds a BA (Psychology & Economics) from the National University of Singapore and MA in Lifelong Learning from the Institute of Education, University of London. He has held various positions in public and private sectors with work focus centring around human capital development and research. His recently completed Masters dissertation was in the area of mid-career transition, and he is continuing his research in this area.